My Betta Peewee is sick. He seems to be growing masses around his gills and a few darker spots above the masses. He's loosing color, the scales around his gills have turned silver. He's not eating as much as he usually does and spits out a lot of it. He isn't responding to his training light (he is a trained Betta) He will still come to see me when I get close to his tank but not with his usual enthusiasm and he's been spending the majority of his time beneath his filter.

Quote:

Housing
What size is your tank? 1.5 gallons
What temperature is your tank? aprox. 75 degrees
Does your tank have a filter? Yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? yes
Is your tank heated? No
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Tetra Betta Flakes, and blood worms as a treat or when training.
How often do you feed your betta fish? A pinch a day and during training sessions.

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Every week and a half
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 100%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Betta bowl prep added to bottled spring water.

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
No
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Color faded, nodular growths, silver scales, and dark circles above growths.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? He's lethergic, unwilling to train, but pissy when he's in his small water changing bowl like always.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? A few days ago.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? No
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No
How old is your fish (approximately)? 1 year

Flakes are not a good food. Think of them like potato chips. Your fish will be much healthier on pellets. It's also easier to consistently feed the same amount with pellets.

Without a heater, how are you keeping the water at 75*? Typically the water will be a couple of degrees cooler than room temperature. Ideal is 76* to 82*.

I think your fish is probably getting sick from ammonia in the water. I'm surprised it's taken this long before he started showing signs. On a 1.5 gallon tank, it would be better to change the water twice a week - one 50% and one 100%.

If you can make some changes, I'm sure you'll see your betta perk up. :)

First of all, I don't believe bottle water is good for fish. Bettas can do well in smaller bowls with no heater as long as the temperature in the room is stable, you keep the bowl away from direct sun and drafty areas. Frequent 100% water changes are necessary. If you have a filter, you may consider to cycle the tank (less problems, easier maintenance).

I prefer my flakes as they are mixed with bits of brine shrimp, shrimp meal and fish meal as the top three ingredients and a 48% min crude protein rating, as Betta are exclusively carnivorous. He is not near a window or drafts and the house is in a warm climate. His vet approves of his habitat and told me to use bottled spring water for his tank as our tap water has always killed fish even with bowl prep. He is feeling much better today, I turned off his air filter, after I realized it was circulating water much to fast and causing a harsh current, which is why he'd been hiding under the filter. He seems much happier today, but the change in scale color and nodules still worry me. Waiting to hear back from the vet.

I prefer my flakes as they are mixed with bits of brine shrimp, shrimp meal and fish meal as the top three ingredients and a 48% min crude protein rating, as Betta are exclusively carnivorous. He is not near a window or drafts and the house is in a warm climate. His vet approves of his habitat and told me to use bottled spring water for his tank as our tap water has always killed fish even with bowl prep. He is feeling much better today, I turned off his air filter, after I realized it was circulating water much to fast and causing a harsh current, which is why he'd been hiding under the filter. He seems much happier today, but the change in scale color and nodules still worry me. Waiting to hear back from the vet.

I understand what the vet said, but he/she is wrong about the bottled water. Tap water contains ESSENTIAL minerals in it that bottled water simply does not have. If you must use bottled water, you need to get an additive to the water that adds these minerals (different from conditioner/de-chlorinator). In that small of a tank I recommend at least 2-3 weekly water changes of 100%, ammonia builds up very fast in tanks 1-2 gallons. Like the others have said, try to keep the water at least at 76.

Flakes can have high protein and good ingredients, but pellets are generally recommended more because they do not dirty the water as much and are easier to feed a proper amount.

I believe your fish is suffering from ammonia exposure. You really need to increase your water changes and find some usable tap water. Your betta really needs the minerals that tap provides.